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Getting By
NCSU Stuff Student ID Card Your Student ID is called OneCard. You can find the latest up-to-date information at onecard.ncsu.edu. Your ID card is free. You need to bring a driver's license or other ID to get your student ID. To get your ID card, go to the OneCard's office, which is temporarily located in the West Dunn building. (It will soon will be located in the new Talley Student Center.) West Dunn Building is located at 2901 Thurman Dr Raleigh, NC, 27606. This is on Dan Allen Dr. south of Hillsborough. Walk down Dan Allen south, then go under the overpass (past the gum wall) and it will be on your right. '''Don't drive; there is no public parking anywhere near the spot '''and if you go after school starts, Dan Allen is closed most of the day except for bus traffic. The nearest public parking if you must drive is on Hillsborough. The OneCard office is open Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Their phone number is 919-515-3090. To send them an e-mail, you must use their contact form. Access to Ricks Your ID card does not automatically have access to Ricks Hall Extension (our offices). You must e-mail our program associate Mya Nguyen (pmnguye2@ncsu.edu) and ask her to seek access for you. She will then request access for you. Access is usually granted within 48 hours. Raleigh Stuff License Plate Getting your license plate is incredibly complicated. * You will need cash. * You will need to get a form notarized. * You will need at least an hour, and probably two, to get your plate. * Go as early in the morning as you can. If you choose to go on a Saturday morning (which is not advisable), the doors open at 8 a.m. People will be lined up at 6:30 a.m. * You will need to research whether or not the state you are coming from requires you to surrender your old plates once you no longer have your car registered there. Driving The main east-west roads around NCSU are Hillsborough Street, Wade Avenue, and Western Avenue. The main north-south roads are Blue Ridge/Duraleigh, Capital Parkway, and Brooks. Through the university, Dan Allen can only be used during nights and weekends. Pullen goes all the way through the university. An interactive NCSU campus map can be explored here. Maps of Raleigh, NC are available in online or printable formats here. Parking During nights and weekends, you can park in the parking lot next to Ricks Hall Addition. During the day, you can park on the street on the south side of Varsity Lot (the corner of Marcom and Gorman) for free, then take the Varsity bus up to Hillsborough Street, where it will drop you off right at the intersection in front of Ricks. The NCSU Transportation department maintains additional information regarding student parking. Also, the routes for the Wolfline Bus system are available online using the Transit Visualization System or as a downloadable app. If you park on Hillsborough Street, there are parking tickets to be had if you go over your time. Be careful. However, if you park at 3 p.m., the meters turn off at 5 p.m. and you can stay as late as you want for $2. NC State Stuff Ricks Hall Addition has no bathroom. If you are in the office after-hours or on weekends, you can swipe into Ricks using your ID card, or go next door to use the facilities (that building is never locked). The Court of the Carolinas is the grassy area behind Tompkins/Caldwell/Winston. The Brickyard is the brick-paved area behind the D.H. Hill Library. It is easy to confuse the two. The CIRCUIT Lab is not an open-use computer lab; it is a joint project run by several different entities that is housed next to our offices. It requires a specific project and a sign-up sheet to access. There is a floor named M in the Winston/Caldwell/Tompkins complex. It is easiest accessible from the staircase between Winston and Caldwell. Library D.H. Hill will check out all sorts of technology to you. Headphones only are checked out for four hours at a time, but you can renew once online at lib.ncsu.edu, making it possible to have headphones for eight hours a time (if you forget your headphones one day or just want to use the University’s). They will fine you $2 if you are late on your turn-in time by even a few minutes. It is very possible that notices of your books arriving from Interlibrary Loan will go into your spam folder. If you request a book and haven’t heard from the library in a week, check your spam folder. It takes several days for Interlibrary Loan returns to clear off your library account. If you turn in a book the day it is due, you may get an e-mail saying it’s late. Don’t worry, it’s not actually late; they’re just processing it. It will clear your account, and you will not be fined. Fees Fees are around $1000, which includes health care. It needs to be paid before the semester in question arrives. There is a monthly payment system that has really affordable processing fees (around $45): https://ncsu.afford.com/ Student Life Stuff Emotions to expect during your first year The first year experience lends itself to a range of emotions. There is often exhilaration at acceptance and enthusiasm at the prospect of conducting desired research. Nevertheless, feeling overwhelmed or stressed is not uncommon as responsibilities from coursework, research, and teaching duties begin to pile up. Some students may also be reluctant to reach out to faculty, but it is advisable to initiate contact by email or dropping by a professor’s office during established hours for professional or academic reasons. When life throws you lemons while in grad school… Consider adopting a perspective that views challenges as learning opportunities. Perhaps your proposal was not accepted for the conference. Perhaps your paper was reviewed and sent back with suggestions for significant revisions. Perhaps your professor’s ideas regarding contributions to course discussions differ from your own. Rather than be discouraged, try to use instances that do not align with your expectations as a springboard to your next level. If necessary, academic challenges may benefit from assistance from the Graduate Writing Center while personal issues may benefit from assistance from the Counseling Center. What to expect when you aren’t expecting it Many times, even the best plans can go awry. In such instances, communication is the key! If there is an academic concern, the faculty of the CRDM program is extremely approachable and willing to provide assistance. Other students in the program are also a great resource. Reach out to your colleagues in the office in Ricks Addition and to others in your cohort. Moreover, the CRDM Program maintains an informative blog that may address many issues students at various stages of the program may encounter. Be sure to peruse some of the entries, especially What to Expect When You're Expecting Communicating about your stresses and smiles is key to success Again, communication is the key to success. Remember that you are part of the Pack; there is no need to go it alone. Express concerns with family and trusted friends, sharing information about sources of stress and/or happiness. Talk with professors. They are keenly interested in how their course material and assignments impact your learning and development. They also are aware that personal situations play an important role in your ability to progress through the program and are sensitive to any that impact your studies. Most critically, honor your own feelings and truthfully assess your abilities and emotions so that you can represent them accurately as you interact with those invested in your success in the program. Tips for Part-time students * Everyone is expected to take Colloquium their first year. It’s typically on Wednesdays around lunchtime. Re-arrange your work/family schedule to accommodate the course. * You can fulfill the 12 hours of elective focus hours required to graduate with either elective courses or directed research (independent studies). Directed research courses are good for those commuting, with full-time employment, families, or other commitments. There is no limit to the amount of directed research you can take; you just need to find a professor willing to work with you on a project. * Don’t procrastinate! Start working on your papers/projects as early as possible. Otherwise, things will become too overwhelming. Put aside time every week to work on your assignments. Your assignments are more important than the weekly readings - if you have to sacrifice time, do not sacrifice time spent on projects. * Make the effort to book meetings with professors and chat about research interests. Keep in touch; work with them on research projects. It will make things easier when you’re putting together a committee. * Get to know your cohort. They will help support you and give you valuable information as you’re moving through the process. They will experience every step before you. * Don’t waste time on switching paper/project ideas. Choose something and write. You have your entire life to think of brilliant research questions. * Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Do your best and don’t stress. Let go of your perfectionism.